Color photographic materials containing one or more image-modifying couplers are well-known in the art. Image-modifying couplers may release development inhibitors when they react with oxidized developer. The inhibitors interact with silver halide to provide one or more functions such as gamma or curve shape control, sharpness enhancement, granularity reduction and color correction via interlayer-interimage effects. The image-modifying couplers include development inhibitor releasing couplers (DIR couplers) from which inhibitor is released directly as a coupling-off group. DIR couplers are disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,554. The image-modifying couplers also include timed development inhibiting releasing couplers (DIAR couplers) from which inhibitor is released as a coupling-off group after a time delay. The time delay results from an additional chemical reaction step involving a timing group included in the DIAR coupler. DIAR couplers are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No, 4,248,962.
The Szajewski et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,555 discloses DIR and DIAR couplers derived from 2-phenylcarbamoyl-1-naphthol compounds for use in color photographic materials, particularly color negative films. The 2-phenylcarbamoyl-1-naphthol compounds are particularly advantageous in their ease of synthesis, low cost, high activity, good dye hues and resistance to leuco dye formation in seasoned bleaches.
However, one disadvantage associated with DIR and DIAR couplers derived from 2-phenylcarbamoyl-1-naphthol compounds is that upon exposure to low temperatures, i.e., for example on storage in a freezer, changes in hue and density may occur. These changes arise from crystallization of the dyes produced by oxidative coupling of the 2-phenylcarbamoyl-1-naphthol compounds with color developer. The hue and density changes may cause inaccurate color and tone reproduction when the color negative films which have been stored at low temperatures are later printed.
Accordingly, a need exists for color photographic materials which contain DIR and/or DIAR coupler 2-phenylcarbamoyl-1-naphthol compounds and which resist hue and density changes when stored at low temperatures. The Thirtle U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,579 discloses alkylphenol and acylphenol coupler solvents in combination with various dye-forming couplers. The Kimura et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,422 discloses silver halide photographic light-sensitive materials comprising at least one phenol cyan coupler, such as a 2-phenylureido-5-carbonamido-phenol coupler, in combination with a non-color-developable and diffusion resistive phenol compound. The Sasaki et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,166 discloses the use of numerous couplers, solvents and addenda, including, among others, phenols, in combination with various couplers for coloration acceleration.